Seven months later, football is back.
The last time we saw the Patriots on the field, they were licking their wounds after a crushing loss in Super Bowl LX, one that served as a bitter ending to a stunning turnaround season.
New England isn’t sneaking up on anyone this year. After a 14-3 finish and an AFC East title in 2025, the Patriots will have a target on their back in 2026 as they gear up for another run.
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That run starts on Wednesday night in Seattle, with a Super Bowl rematch kicking off at 8:20 p.m.
Can New England do it again? Will the tougher schedule take its toll in Mike Vrabel’s second year? Was Drake Maye’s MVP-caliber season a flash in the pan, or the start of a special career? Will Christian Gonzalez justify his record contract?
You’ve got questions, we’ve got some answers. Here’s a look at the Globe’s stories previewing the 2026 season:
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2026 NFL predictions
How many games will the Patriots win? Who will win each division? Who’s winning the Super Bowl? Here are the Globe staff’s predictions for the 2026 NFL season.
What more do the Patriots need from Drake Maye?
After Maye’s second NFL season, which culminated in a Super Bowl appearance and runner-up finish in MVP voting, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant, and Vrabel discussed how they could continue to facilitate his promising growth.
Near the top of the list: Encouraging Maye to exhibit more vocal leadership and ownership.
Read Nicole Yang’s story on Maye here.
It was a rough offseason for Mike Vrabel.
It was a rough offseason for Mike Vrabel.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Can Mike Vrabel bounce back from a tough offseason?
Vrabel’s Patriots face quite a challenge in opening the NFL season, stepping immediately into the fire in the rematch of a painful and forgettable Super Bowl. The stakes are obviously lower this time, but the environment might actually be tougher, played inside the very loud confines of a Seattle stadium that routinely sets records for crowd noise.
Can’t help but wonder how much of it will be aimed directly at the Patriots’ coach.
Read Tara Sullivan’s column on the coach’s challenging season ahead.
Vrabel and Maye look to keep the good times rolling
Steeped in 21st-century success, the Patriots generally embrace history repeating itself, especially with regard to Vrabel and Maye matching the coach-quarterback secret sauce cooked up by the canonized tandem of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
But there’s one track on the Belichick-Brady masters that Vrabel and Maye don’t want to repeat as they enter the 2026 season — the Super Bowl backslide.
Christopher L. Gasper has some thoughts ahead of the opener.
Rhamondre Stevenson wants to leave no doubt
With TreVeyon Henderson out for Wednesday’s opener, Stevenson knows he’ll have a lot on his plate against the Seahawks’ powerful defense.
“I’m ready to go to war with our new group of offensive guys,” Stevenson said. “I’m very confident. I feel like this is one of my better camps, more healthier camps. So yeah, I’m ready to go.”
Christopher Price has more on a big season for the Patriots’ lead back.
Can Kyle Williams have a breakout season?
Can Kyle Williams have a breakout season?Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Williams watch
When asked in February at the NFL scouting combine about the challenges of finding a No. 1 receiver, Vrabel brought up Kyle Williams unprompted.
“I’m excited to see where guys like Kyle Williams go from Year 1 to Year 2, just his development and his growth mentally and physically,” Vrabel said at the time.
Vrabel wasn’t ready to declare Williams a No. 1 receiver — especially with A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs joining the fold — but New England is hoping the second-year wideout is set up to make the leap.
Nicole Yang has more.
A tough road ahead
The 2025 season was a dream for the Patriots. Vrabel turned a 4-13 team into a 14-3 juggernaut. Maye morphed from unproven to MVP runner-up. A three-year playoff drought ended with a Super Bowl run.
Now comes the tough part: picking themselves back up and doing it again, particularly with a tough schedule.
Read Ben Volin’s column on the “Super Bowl hangover” here.
Meet the Patriots
Want to get to know these Patriots? Christopher Price has some background on all 53 players on New England’s initial roster.